Classics Worldの May 2018 の目次

For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been dodging around in our former project Triumph 2500TC after collecting the big brown estate from the NEC at the end of last month’s Practical Classics Restoration Show. Our Triumph was displayed on the Lancaster Insurance stand alongside the very smart 1981 MkI Golf GTI the insurance specialist will be giving away later this year in its recently announced prize competition. We will be covering all the work Lancaster’s planning to do to the Golf before the car is given away. The first part of this new series starts in this issue and covers how the GTI was sourced, bought and prepared for the NEC. When Lancaster suggested a Golf GTI for its new competition, we thought this hot hatch was an excellent…

Vauxhall’s historic Luton factory complex – currently home to the Vivaro van and the Heritage Collection – is to produce a new Griffin-badged van by next year. Owners PSA Group, which bought Vauxhall as part of the ailing General Motors Europe conglomerate to add to its portfolio of Peugeot, Citroën and DS Automobiles, wants to increase production on the site from 60,000 vans to over 100,000. Its other van factory at Hordain in France is flat out producing vehicles and Luton has the required capacity. As a result, Luton is one of the few full-height commercial vehicle lines in Europe with a suitable paint shop and will receive further investment to produce the next Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro, securing 1400 jobs past the year 2030. PSA Group considered other plants on its…

George Muggeridge is the lucky owner of this superbly presented Zephyr/Zodiac and recommends the Five Stars Club, as it is dedicated to the MkI range. The club came about during the mid-'Seventies via a group of enthusiasts who were driving their cars from London to Brighton. Since those early days the club has become the authority on MkI Consuls, Zephyrs and Zodiacs. The Five Stars Club has members all around the world and is kept together by a quarterly magazine that includes car for sale, parts wanted and some spares for sale. George claims there are other benefits to members, such as cheaper insurance and inside technical knowledge on all the cars. The Five Stars Club welcomes all enthusiasts interested in the subjects they cover and hold two gatherings a…

During the late ‘Eighties, the growing UK Mini club and specialist repair scene turned into a worldwide phenomena and Germany, along with Japan, became two of the most enthusiastic markets to embrace the classic Mini. However, despite sales of the Mini in these two countries growing steadily, storm clouds were gathering back in Longbridge and by 1994 what was left of the once mighty Rover Group now found itself now under the control of BMW. The low cost of the entry-level models made the Mini the perfect choice as a second vehicle and steady sales of the old campaigner resulted in the Mini being granted a stay of execution until at least 1991. Plans announced by BMW chief Bernd Pischetsrieder (a distant cousin of Alex Issigonis, the Mini's designer), included…

Having marked the location of the extra holes for the Lowlight Minor’s front seats, they were taken out of the car so I could fit the interior. First items to go in were the rear quarter panels. These simply screw onto the bodywork with stainless self-tappers and cup washers. The next job was to fit the new covers for the rear seat. The originals weren’t that bad, but they are nigh on 70 years old and I didn’t want to destroy them when they could be used in my lowlight tourer. Instead I searched for a seat base and back that were in worse condition so I could use the springs and padding with the new covers. These earlier cars aren’t common but I was able to pick a seat…

A few months ago you may remember how I stripped the interior of the Land Rover, primarily to get rid of the ‘wrong’ seats that were fitted. These had been resting on the original seatbox, albeit with the addition of a hefty piece of timber topped by a piece of MDF. After hurling these bits into the nearest skip, I was confronted by what can only be described as the broken remains of a Land Rover seatbox. The original passenger side toolbox lid had survived, as had the fuel tank cover on the opposite side, but the rest had been butchered. For some unfathomable reason, the passenger side panel had been removed and replaced with a piece of black painted hardboard. One of the spacer panels running between the centre…

Despite my best attempts, the Davrian steadfastly refused to start the other day. I’d charged the battery (using the excellent Genius battery charger), filled the nearside tank with Shell V Power, added Millers VSP Plus, installed new Volvo plugs and nothing much happened! The engine coughed a couple of times, but that was it. So on the advice of my good friend Nick Cleak (who’d suggested the Volvo plugs and who thought that one Weber was drawing more fuel than the other, I adjusted the carburettor balance so the butterflies were in line. Next, I hooked the Davrian up to my Volvo V60. Lo and behold, after a few coughs and stumbles the engine fired up and away it went. It sounds great too and the oil pressure was spot…

We left ‘Project P6’ last month with just one sticky brake caliper and a couple of split balljoint gaiters away from the car’s first MoT pass in six years – a pretty good and somewhat unexpected position given that three weeks earlier we’d been dragging the car from a garage in which it had effectively been abandoned. A rear brake issue was also good news from the magazine’s point of view, as this can be a common P6 weak spot. Many problems are caused by not really understanding how the car’s braking system works. As is fairly well known, the P6 has inboard rear disc brakes mounted next to the differential. From here, driveshafts with universal joints at each end transfer drive to the wheels. INBOARD DISCS Early cars had…

Oil is the life blood of an engine and anyone who services their own car will be used to seeing filthy black oil smelling of carbon and all the nasty by-products of the combustion process draining out of the sump plug before the correct quantity of fresh liquid gold glugs its way into the rocker box to protect the engine’s vital moving parts until the next oil change. Sitting at the heart of the engine’s lubrication system is the out of sight, out of mind mechanically operated oil pump. When the engine is running, this hard working device is constantly drawing cooled oil up from the bottom of the sump, or in some cases an external tank, before delivering filtered lubricant under pressure to the engine’s bearings and other moving…

A glance at the RX-8’s stylish profile shows that Mazda has never been afraid to do things differently. One of most obvious exterior quirks of this good looking coupé is a pair of small rear hinged ‘freestyle’ rear doors with cleverly built-in B pillars to allow unfettered access to the rear seats. However, what really makes the rear-wheel drive RX-8 stand out from the crowd is its 192bhp twin rotor Wankel engine. Introduced in 2002, the first generation of the RX-8 replaced the third generation of the outgoing rotary powered RX-7. Mazda’s latest sports coupé was now powered by the company’s newly introduced RENESIS 13B-MSP (Multi Side Port) 192bhp twin rotor Wankel engine, which was later upgraded to a 237bhp six-port unit. Development of the RX-8 goes back to the…

Over the weekend of March 23-24, Barry Cotgrave Auctioneers hammered away many of the lots offered in the Sewell Manor collection, including the motoring items on the Saturday of the sale. The sale took place near Dunstable in Bedfordshire and the vendor, Jonathan Beacon, hasn’t thrown anything away and has been collecting for over 50 years. With the house sold, sprightly Jonathan is currently downsizing in preparation for a move to France and will be taking a selection of his machines, including his beloved red 1949 Allard K1 206 and other vehicle gems with him. The 1,500 plus item sale saw 19 examples from his car collection come under the hammer as well as a raft of dusty autojumble parts. Many of the vehicles were in need of restoration and…

The Classic Car Loan Project is a scheme designed to encourage the next generation of owners by letting them 'borrow' a classic for a year. This year's hand over ceremony took place on April 7 at the National Motor Museum in Gaydon where three young owners chosen a from a range of applicants were introduced to their cars. The vehicles being loaned out for the year were Peter Garrett's 1929 Ford Model A Phaeton, Andrew Morison's 1934 Morgan Three Wheeler Super Sport and a Vauxhall Victor that had been bequeathed to the Vauxhall Victor Club by a late member. Sara-Jane Jordan’s reason for choosing the Ford Model A was motivated by having friends in the Wolverhampton area with older classic cars and they will no doubt give her good support…

Very often the reason for owning a particular type of vehicle is that it can be traced back to the owner’s roots and that was the exactly the case with George Muggeridge, the owner of the superbly restored MkI Zephyr featured here. George has been a car fan from when he can first remember and recalls when he was a schoolboy listening to Raymond Baxter’s commentary covering the Monte Carlo Rally on BBC radio in late January 1953. This was the year following Sydney Allard’s unique victory in a car of his own make, a result that woke up the press and public’s attention to this famous motoring event. The 1953 Monte Carlo rally was the 23rd year this demanding event had been held and a specially prepared MkI Ford…

Until the launch of the XJ6 in 1968, the Mk2 was recognised as one of Jaguar’s most successful saloons and for many enthusiasts the most desirable of the bunch has to a manual 3.8 litre version equipped with overdrive and optional chrome or body coloured wire wheels. Die-hards of the marque may be disappointed that the Mk2 featured here doesn’t quite tick all the above boxes, as it’s an automatic, ‘only’ has the 3.4 litre XK engine under its bonnet and sits on a set of aftermarket silver painted wires. However, where Richard Whatley’s superb low mileage saloon scores top marks is that his Mk2 spent most of its life basking under the sun out in Tangiers and has never been welded. Jaguars have played a huge part in Richard’s…

Since my last diary, I’ve mainly been continuing the E-Type’s engine assembly with refitting the manifolds, carburettors and remaining pipework. Both manifolds take time to fit when the engine is in place, as the sub-frames restrict access to the studs and nuts, particularly the lower ones. On each exhaust manifold the central lower nut is hidden behind the downpipe. This out of site position with little room to work results in having to tighten the nuts up with an open-ended spanner one flat at a time. I always fit brass nuts to the exhaust manifold, as this ensures easier removal when and if required. The inlet manifold is much easier to fit and all the nuts can be tightened with a socket on the end of a UJ extension, which…

When starting the Jaguar Sovereign after it had been left standing for some time out in the cold and damp, it had been taking a few moments before the car started running smoothly on all six cylinders. I knew the HT leads were okay, as I had replaced them just a few thousand miles ago. So with that in mind I ordered a fresh set of plugs from SNG Barratt. However, when I withdrew the socket after unscrewing the first plug, the plug didn’t come up with the socket. On examination I found that the rubber insert inside the socket that normally grips the top of the spark plug had disappeared. After trying to use a pair of long nose pliers to retrieve the rubber without any success, I decided…

Launched in 1963, the Hillman Imp was the car that should have had it all. A clean sheet design with nothing taken from other Rootes cars, the Imp was built in a brand new factory and whilst teething troubles are normal even now, the Imp had its fair share of bad luck. Even so, this little car was built for thirteen years and sold reasonably well with over 440,000 cars coming off the line. That doesn’t compare so well with the Mini, which sold a million units in six years and four million by 1976, the same year the Imp left production. The Imp arrived in 1963 and two years later received its first major revision to create the Mark II. This featured improved the suspension geometry, added a stronger…

Now the disruptive weather front the papers nicknamed ‘The Beast from the East’ has been tamed, it’s time to get down to business and recommission your classic ready for the new season ahead. But before waking the car up from its winter slumbers, one of the first items to check is to make sure all the paperwork is in order. If the vehicle has been on SORN over the winter, it will need taxing even if it’s tax exempt. It’s always a good idea to coincide the MoT test (if you decide to have one) at the start of the season, as any issues can be fixed before the car is used in earnest and the final piece of paperwork to check is that the car is correctly insured for…

Last year we featured how Lancaster Insurance teamed up with the presenters from TV’s ‘Wheeler Dealers’ in a boxing style ‘Charity Build Off’ where Mike Brewer’s team rebuilt a down-at-heel Escort XR3i Cabriolet and Ant Anstead attempted to land the knockout blow with his stunning scratch built replica ‘Fifties’ racer. Soon after Silverstone Auctions successfully auctioned off both these cars for charity at last year’s Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, the team at Lancaster started to plan this year’s classic project and decided on a prize giveaway. The final detail was to choose which car to offer as a prize and the guys at Lancaster chose an iconic ‘Eighties classic – a MkI VW Golf GTI. We explained it was a great choice and how the barnstorming GTI is now…

Back in the ’Seventies and early ’Eighties, Mazda, along with Honda to a certain degree, was considered a maverick manufacturer when compared to the conservative standards of Japanese corporate culture. Not only had Mazda persisted with the Wankel rotary engine when all others had given up on the idea but it was also the only Japanese carmaker to be substantially owned by a foreign company. When the Ford Motor Company acquired its initial 24.5 per cent shareholding of Mazda in 1979, Henry Ford II shocked the assembled Tokyo business press by boldly stating that his ultimate aim was to take control of a Japanese carmaker. This was something which Ford achieved in 1996 when its stake was increased to 33.4 per cent, a point at which Japanese law allowed it…

Although a simplified Wankel engine only has two working parts, the large combustion chamber in these power units tend to burn a lot of fuel, which produces an unexceptional high level of CO2. Power is produced by a troichidal shaped rotor orbiting an eccentric shaft in the centre of an epitrochodal shaped housing. The rotor tips form three ‘combustion chambers’ on each orbit of the housing and to lubricate the apex seals, a small amount of oil is injected into the rotor and is burnt during the combustion process. The apex seals on the rotor tips work like piston rings in a conventional reciprocating engine and provide a gas tight seal under extreme pressures and temperatures. Failing apex seals are the primary reason a Wankel engine has to be rebuilt…

The DVLA recently calmed classic car enthusiasts’ fears regarding the MoT exemption process for historic vehicles by revealing form V112 will exempt vehicles of historic interest (VHI) from further MoT tests. It will need to be done every year at a Post Office or if declaring by hard copy is inconvenient, an online portal similar to the ones used to tax vehicles, notify the DVLA of a change of keeper or to declare SORN is to be created. Both the updated V112 exemption form and its online equivalent will be made available before MoT rules change on Sunday, May 20. Forty year old tax exempt classics won’t need a MoT from this date, provided the vehicle hasn’t been ‘substantially altered’, although sensible safety modifications such as better brakes are allowed…

After 42 years, Contour Autocraft has announced that it is to stop making replacement body panels for XK series Jaguars from June 2018. Iain Macleod started making these panels using traditional wheeling and panel-shaping techniques in 1976. Since then, he has passed his skills on to son Bruce who now runs the business. The company has also expanded into other areas; chiefly the manufacture of one-off panels and parts and running training courses in traditional wheeling and shaping techniques from their base in rural South Lincolnshire. These now require even more time, while demand for XK panels has, as Bruce puts it, “waned”. Bruce added: “We would like to thank all the restoration companies, car owners and enthusiasts for their support over the last 40 years. We have met some…

RETRO SOUNDS Modern technology offers loads of options for someone wanting to add a modern sound system to a classic but most of them will come in the standard DIN format, meaning ugly holes need cutting in the dash of older cars designed for smaller spindle-fit radios. Moss Europe has solved the problem with its RetroSound units which use the traditional spindle mount and offers DAB radio as well as AM/FM reception, plus a built-in Bluetooth connection, iPod/iPhone compatibility, USB input and aux input sockets. Prices start at £315 for the San Diego unit in black or chrome, with a DAB aerial adaptor at £18 and a hidden amplified aerial at £27. FOG LIGHT UPGRADES You don’t have to drive a classic in the depths of winter to get caught…

For a stunning Zephyr/Zodiac in concours condition expect to pay approximately £16,000. A good restored example will cost between £12,000-£14,000, while projects and basket cases are available from around £1000. However, it’s essential to check that the car is the real thing and not a made up ‘look alike’, of which there are a number in circulation. It’s also essential to find an example that's not rust-riddled under a pretty coat of filler and paint, particularly around the front headlight area – and that’s just the start of where these car’s rust.…

It’s every car enthusiast’s dream to walk into a supermarket and come out with a free car and that’s exactly what happened to Ken Morris when he went shopping one day and ended up winning a brand new Platinum Silver Mini Sprite. “It was certainly one of the best shopping trips I’ve had”, chuckled Ken as he recalled how he came to win the car we were about to photograph. “It was back in late 1995 and I’d just nipped into Iceland to get a few things and noticed there were banners and posters all over the place advertising the company’s 25th anniversary. Part of the celebrations was a competition to win one of five brand new Mini Sprites, so I picked up an entry form, filled in all the…

With the refurbished Rover V8 engine back in my garage I set about installing the crankshaft, which should have been a simple enough task even for someone as clumsy as me. First job was to line up the new bearings and treat them to lots of engine build break in oil, but for some reason one of the thrust bearings didn’t want to slot onto its journal. So I phoned Graham at Motortech, the company that did all the machining and was reassured that as the bearing is a tight interference fit, more force was needed to position it followed by the crankshaft, which I thought was a bit stiff. Next to be fitted were the caps that drop in place across the crank journals. The rear one needed cruciform…

It’s been a bit of a mixed bag on the Austin Healey 3000 this month and I’ve been getting on with jobs I fancy doing rather than continuous metal bashing, which makes the neighbours a bit happier too! However, work on the big Healey’s body is still in a case of continuous fettling to get those important panel gaps and swage lines right. It’s now got to the point where I’m quite happy with the result and can finally move onto some panel work. The left-hand side of the car still needs a lower wing and door panel, but I’ve decided to leave these jobs right to the end. This is because the outer sills still have to be fitted and I’ll be able to ensure all the panels are…

To-do list • Investigate excessive blue smoke • Repair slight exhaust leak • Fit a new steering column UJ • Replace rear discs and pads • Fit new rear radius arm bushes • Renew exhaust mounts • Sort out central locking • Deal with dent at top C-pillar I was hoping to take the Jaguar back to Yorkshire so Dave Bye at West Riding Race and Restoration could investigate why the car is burning so much oil after the head gasket was replaced but the recent bad weather put paid to that idea. Dave had said the Jaguar’s cylinder head was worn when it was stripped down but to see how the car went before deciding to go any further. All seemed well for the first few hundred miles but…

If you dread trying to start your classic car’s engine on a cold, damp morning or while waking the car up for the spring, then follow our guide to help avoid trouble There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to start your classic car’s engine, only to find it was working perfectly well one day, but not the next. Damp conditions, especially during the winter months often highlight emerging problems in the ignition system or the vehicle’s battery. And cold weather doesn’t help, as it reduces the voltage being delivered by the battery. Despite several potential problems that may be the cause of a non-starting engine, there is a logical set of steps to follow to help fix such a disaster, which we’ve outlined over the following pages. Ignoring the obvious…

Regular readers will already know I’m a massive fan of the cars produced by Sidney Allard in the late ‘Forties and early ‘Fifties. Work on my maroon 1949 M drophead coupé regularly features in this magazine’s diary pages and I’m always keen to have a good look at other examples of these superbly engineered cars. So while wandering around last year’s Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show it was hardly surprising that one of my first ports of call would be to the Allard Owners’ Club stand. While talking to the club’s captain, Dave Loveys from Wiltshire, we chatted about a 1951 V8 powered Allard P1 saloon that had recently been up for sale and whether it had been sold or not. Dave asked if I was interested in buying another…

March 1991: Limited Edition Based on the 1.8i, the Limited Edition celebrated the MX-5’s first birthday. Only 250 were made and the cars retailed at £18,249. Finished in British Racing Green, the cars wore 15-inch BBS cross-spoke alloys and came with leather seats, wooden steering wheel and wood gear knob. November 1990: BBR Turbo With a turbo conversion developed by Brodie Brittain Racing, the BBR Turbo addressed the needs of those who felt the MX-5 could handle more power. Using a Garrett T25 blower with intercooler and piggyback ECU, power shot up to 150 bhp – and shot many unsuspecting owners backwards into the hedge at the same time. A limited-slip differential was available to order at the same time. September 1991: Le Mans Produced to commemorate Johnny Herbert’s win…